Meet The Makers
Minnesota’s Perennial Percent Pioneers: Meet Bang Brewing and Sturdiwheat
Does your favorite pancake mix or locally-crafted brew filter stormwater runoff, improve water quality and work towards a healthier future for Minnesota’s rivers? If it carries the Perennial Percent label, it already has.
A Hustle of Love: X2 Pastries Bakes Their Favorites for You
St. Paul's X2 Pastries is a “hustle of love” according to Xiong Xiong. “We get to bake for ourselves, the products we think are the most delicious and delightful, and we then share it with all of you.”
Drinking is an Agricultural Act at Far North Spirits
The founding of America’s only certified Bee-Friendly Farm Distillery began with a homework assignment. Cheri Reese and Mike Swanson, owners of Far North Spirits, were living in St. Paul following careers in marketing and communications. Mike was pursuing an MBA from the University of St. Thomas where his entrepreneurial class project included a business plan for a distillery that grew its own grain.
From Fish Tanks to Farmers’ Fields: Clear Water Nitrate Reduction
This story starts with a couple of 25 gallon fish tanks in a St. Olaf dorm room. Growing up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Ian became interested in reducing fertilizer runoff when he learned that sources of pollution like nitrate and phosphorus were invisible as they leached into the groundwater or local streams. Parts of the watershed were overloaded with nutrient pollution whose negative impact increased as it moved downstream.
